Chapter 15
“I’m sorry, but dancing twice in a row wore me out a bit.”
Before Iden could even finish his sentence, Ye Mirin pouted and sulked, expressing her dissatisfaction in a roundabout way.
Boamil watched them with curious eyes, clearly entertained.
“I think I’ll need to take a little break.”
Without giving Aerin a chance to respond, Iden immediately turned toward the lounge.
As he passed by, he briefly made eye contact with Luaim, who was chuckling to himself as if he found the situation amusing. Caught between two men glaring at each other, Aerin’s expression turned visibly awkward.
“You look truly beautiful today.”
However, contrary to her wish to head to the lounge, she was quickly swept up in the gathering crowd.
The princess’s birthday banquet had effectively become a social battlefield, a chance to forge valuable connections with royalty. Nobles who couldn’t afford to miss the opportunity rushed in, especially now that Aerin was single.
“Your Highness, greetings from Viscount Soke. This is Lady Madeline.”
“Oh my, Your Highness! Happy birthday! I’m Clara from Count Congas’ house.”
“Your Highness, you’re so radiant tonight, I nearly mistook you for a goddess. I feel like snow might fall any second from the sheer glow.”
The ridiculous flattery continued, tormenting Aerin’s ears. She nodded politely while subtly glancing around.
“Your Highness.”
Just as she was struggling to navigate the tension between the two noble houses, someone grabbed her wrist.
“You said you had something to talk about separately, didn’t you?”
Iden lightly squinted one eye as he said that. Thinking he was rescuing her from the awkwardness, Aerin played along.
“I did.”
She smoothly adjusted her expression and naturally linked arms with him.
“Pardon me, but I need to speak with Duke Homeri.”
“It’s Iden, Your Highness.”
“Didn’t I ask you to call me Iden?”
Aerin let out a quiet sigh. He had refused her escort request earlier so coldly…
“It still feels a little awkward, but I’ll try in time.”
She decided to play along with his pace for now.
“If that’s Your Highness’ wish.”
Aerin gently squeezed the arm that she had taken hold of.
Iden flinched slightly—a subtle reaction only she could feel.
“So, this year, will Duke Homeri finally become engaged?”
A group of ladies nearby glanced at them and whispered.
“Still, His Majesty is extremely protective of the princess. Maybe we’ll only see a proposal next year. Even earlier, it was the Emperor who escorted her.”
“They say the Crown Prince is already engaged to a lady from the Homeri family. To avoid concentrating too much power, the Emperor must be cautious.”
“But isn’t Duke Homeri the top bachelor of the Forti Empire? Maybe His Majesty is intentionally blocking other proposals to keep him in the family?”
“Well… But don’t they look quite close?”
Another lady chimed in.
“When did they get so friendly? They do make a great pair.”
“They might’ve been seeing each other for a while already.”
“But someone I know works in the princess’s palace. They say she rarely goes out.”
“Then they must’ve snuck out! Avoiding the eyes of maids and guards!”
As usual, the social circle exaggerated and embellished the scene until it became a ridiculous rumor.
Aerin, now the subject of gossip, walked slowly, deliberately clinging to Iden’s arm and tilting her head as if they were close.
“You can lean on me.”
Iden said softly with a faint smile.
She had only meant to act the part, keeping a calculated distance just barely touching his arm.
Her neck was stiff—very much so.
Aerin cleared her throat and straightened up.
“It’s not like I actually said anything.”
“I really did say it because I had something to talk about.”
“Wasn’t he helping me out?”
Aerin was startled but managed to hide her true expression, thanks to the acting skills she’d sharpened since her return.
Real-life practice was the best training.
She praised her past self for attending countless tea parties and practicing her expressions even in a busy schedule.
“I apologize for turning down your request the other day.”
Iden’s expression twisted with unease.
“It was entirely because of Diane.”
It seemed he still regretted turning her down so hesitantly that day.
“I see.”
Aerin replied with an indifferent gaze, as if his excuse didn’t interest her at all.
Iden was visibly flustered by her cold reaction.
“I’m sorry. Diane has always insisted I escort her at every debut since childhood…”
They were close to the lounge now.
“I said I understood. Just keep walking—people might start talking.”
Eager to escape to the lounge, Aerin replied coldly. Iden’s face stiffened noticeably.
For a noble heir, he should really learn to mask his expressions better.
Or perhaps he didn’t feel the need to?
While Aerin blinked, trying to guess his thoughts, he broke into a cold sweat and mumbled,
“If you’re angry, I apologize.”
Iden bit his lip.
Diane was only partly the reason he refused Aerin. The truth was, if he had become her partner, he would’ve lost all composure.
Even asking her to dance earlier had taken great courage.
“Angry? No, I just want to rest.”
Her voice remained icy.
She truly didn’t care for his excuses.
He had a naïve side, revealing every emotion during the veiled verbal sparring typical of the noble society.
Just as he was about to speak his feelings, he shut his mouth.
Falling out with a potential fiancé wouldn’t be wise.
“Thanks for walking me here.”
As soon as they reached the private lounge, Aerin slammed the door shut before Iden could respond.
Whew…
Once she confirmed she was alone, she collapsed onto the sofa.
“Boring.”
Aerin used to love social events—they were a source of energy for her.
It was fun being the center of attention among peers.
But now, knowing what lay behind everyone’s mask, she felt heavy-hearted.
The fake smiles and empty politeness, all driven by power and status—she could see through it all.
Realizing that made everything feel dull and repetitive.
“I miss Bersi.”
Marquis Mendilt’s daughter, Bersi Bendict.
She was Aerin’s childhood friend and favorite playmate.
But Bersi couldn’t attend today due to a high fever.
“Maybe I should’ve gone to see her.”
Aerin sighed deeply.
She had known about Bersi’s fever well in advance.
It was just a mild cold that would pass quickly, so she hadn’t been too worried.
She sat up again.
As the star of the event, her absence would soon be noticed.
When she stepped outside, people were chatting away, seemingly having finished another round of dancing.
“Your Highness, would you like some wine?”
A maid approached with a tray of low-alcohol wine, customary for young ladies.
She wanted something stronger today…
Aerin pointed at a particular wine.
“That one, please.”
Wine in hand, she slowly approached one of the lively groups.
At the center stood Lady Sharon Raglan, passionately recounting a story.
So Sharon Raglan is telling one of her famous tales.
Sharon was known for her captivating storytelling.
Aerin understood why people were crowding around her—she was a natural performer with expressive gestures and spot-on impressions.
“And then, he smiled sweetly and reached out his hand!”
Beside her stood Magno Pellingka, blushing and shy. Known for her elegance and wit, Magno was one of the social scene’s main figures. Aerin had met her once during a diplomatic gathering in the palace garden.
“I blushed and timidly reached out my hand too… Ah, Your Highness!”
Sharon, mid-sentence, spotted Aerin and waved.
The buzzing conversation halted, but once they recognized the princess, everyone welcomed her warmly.
“Happy birthday, Your Highness!”
Their enthusiasm was intense—if she were from a lesser house, she might’ve been exiled for interrupting.
Aerin masked her real expression and wore a brilliant smile.
“Thank you. What were you discussing, Lady Raglan?”
“We were listening to Miss Agno’s story! About her recent trip to the Mersen Empire’s ball.”
Magno Pellingka’s family hailed from the Mersen Empire.
It wasn’t strange for her to have attended the imperial ball there.
“Ah, I see—what happened next? You mentioned someone earlier…”
She recalled someone being called “Your Highness.”
If they were referred to as such in the Mersen Empire, then…
“It was the Crown Prince of Mersen! He’s not only famous for his looks, but he’s also incredibly kind!”
